Car-coupling



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

P MGENTEE. GAB. GOUPLING.

No. 505,803. Patented Sept. 26., 1893.

@WM' Eat/L; 4 VWWWM By his tfltto'rne y I UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

PATRICK MOENTEE, OF MONTGOMERY, MINNESOTA.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 505,803, datedSeptember 26, 1893.

Application filed February 8, 1892. Serial No. 420.680. (No'modeL) Toall whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, PATRICK MOENTEE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Montgomery, in the county of Le Sueur and State ofMinnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inGar-Couplings, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the class of carcouplings in which interlockingjaws, provid ed 011 opposite draw-heads, are used.

The principal objects of the invention are, to provide means forlessening the strain on the pivots of the jaws; to provide improvedmeans for holding the jaws in place when interlocked; and for operatingthem from the sides of the cars for coupling and uncoupling.

The improvements are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which-Figure 1 is an end view of a portion of a freight car provided with theimprovements. Fig. 2 is a top iew of a draw-head containing theimprovement. of the same; and Figs. 1 to 7 are detail views of alocking-key used in the device.

In such drawings 1 designates an end portion of a car, and 2 adraw-head. In the for-- ward end of the draw-head is a jaw or knuckle 3connected to a side portion of the drawhead by a pivot-pin 4:. The jaw,as will be readily understood, is designed to co-operate with a similarjaw on an opposite draw-head, to constitute the interlocking coupling.The shank 5 of the jaw or knuckle has its surface adjacent the side wallof the draw-bar corrugated, as at 6, to fit corresponding corrugations,7, formed on the wall, so that when a thrust is made on the knuckle 3the engagement of the corrugations 6 and 7 will, in part, relieve thestrain upon the pivot-pin 4, because the force exerted upon the knuckletends to press the two corrugated surfaces together. It is preferable tomake these corrugations of curved form with the arcs trending toward thefront.

The shank 5 has an outward extension 8, projecting laterally from thedraw head through a slot inits side. And to this extension is connecteda rod 9 that extends to the side of the car and has a hand-hole 10formed on its end. The rod is hung in a bracket 11 Fig. 3 is a side viewmodate itself to the movements of the jawshank to which it is connected.In this way the knuckle can be turned on its pivot, whenever necessary,from the side of the car. The position of the jaw and its connections,when interlocked with a twin-coupling, is shown by the full lines Fig.2, and the positions to which the parts are moved when the jaws areuncoupled are indicated by the dotted lines in the same figure.

To securely lock the jaw in position, when two jaws are coupled, a key12 is provided. This key is arranged to descend in a suitable slotextending through the top and bottom of the draw-head, and its surface13 which engages the jaw-shank to hold it in place, is of inclined orwedge shape; so that its sloping surface will bear on the side of thejaw-shank and, the key being loose in its slot, will adjust itself tothe proper extent to hold the jaw-shank in engagement with the wall ofthe draw-h ead; and, furthermore, will compensate for wear occasioned byuse. On the rear edge of the key, which edge is preferably halfround asshown, is a shoulder 14. for engaging the upper surface of the draw-headto hold the key in suspension preliminary to making a coupling. For thepurpose of providing means for lifting the key to this position a rod 15is supported in suitable hangers or brackets 16, and has a crank 17 ator near the side of the car, and a second crank 18 connected by an eye19 to an eye 20 formed on or attached to the top of the key. By turningthe crank 17 the key can be lifted to position to be supported by itsshoulder 14, in position to fall by gravity when the drawhead is jarred,as by the concussion of a second draw-headin coupling cars. knuckle isturned from the position shown by dotted lines to that shown by fulllines- Fig. 2-the key is not in elevated position (dotted lines Fig. 3)but is inlocking position (full lines Fig. 3) the curved surface 21 ofthe arm 8 will engage the front edge of the key and by frictionalcontact lift the key by sliding it on its inclined rear bearing topermit the parts to assume proper locking positions.

The shape and position of the key should be such that the constanttendency is to descend by gravity and lock the jaw-shank firmly to thewall of the draw-head. For this If when the purpose it is preferable tomake the key of engaging thodraw-head to hold it in suspen- I 5 aboutthe shape shown and place it in a slot sion until a coupling is made,substantially having about the inclination shown. as set forth.

Having described my invention, what I 3. The combinationwithadraw-barhaving 5 claim is a corrugated interior side wall, of a jawhav- 1. The combination with a draw-bar having ing a portion fittingsaid corrugations and a 20 a corrugated interior wail of a jaw having agravitating keyot' wedge shapeinan inclined portion fitting saidcorrugations, and a key slot and adapted to lock the jaw in place andfor locking them when in engagement, subcompensate for Wear,substantially as set [0 stantially as set forth. forth.

2. In acar-coup1ing,ajaw pivoted toa draw- PATRICK MCENTEE. head, andhaving alateral arm, a connection Witnesses: therewith for operating itfrom the side of a R. BLUME, car, and a gravitating key having ashoulder P. H. GUNCKEL.

